experiences

An American Family in Europe (Part 6) Last Night in Rome and Two Nights in Paris

When we got off the ship we knew we needed to take the train back to Rome and then take another train to our (different) hotel. It wasn’t raining so we didn’t need the taxi this time. 🙂 Transportation cost us 12.50 Euros ($16) for two adults and one child train ticket back to Rome and another 12 Euros ($15.50) for our two one-day bus/train/metro passes.

Despite having the previous three days as down time, the kids were definitely getting worn out by this part of the trip. It would have been nice to just go from the train station to the airport, or just have the one last night in Rome and then fly home. But, as this wasn’t an option for us, we had to press on and keep in mind that we weren’t going to be able to do as much as we were in the beginning of the trip.

On our last day/night in Rome we stayed at the Holiday Inn near the Fiumicino Airport. Again, that would have been great since they had a free bus service to the airport if our flight didn’t leave so early the next morning. This hotel was very nice, it was modern, had a large bathroom and two queen-size beds, but it was definitely further out of the city than we would have liked. I would stay again if we had to overnight before a flight the next day, but for the convenience of getting to Rome we preferred the Crown Plaza.

We decided to go tour two cathedrals we hadn’t been to yet, (Holy Cross and San Clemente); the cost of going to the lower church in San Clemente was 10 Euros ($13). Our dinner came to 25 Euros ($32.50) and the Holiday Inn charged to use the internet, which we had to have to check in for our flight. That cost 12 Euros plus the additional 6 Euro hotel tax we were charged ($23.50). Total cost, $100.50.

I already included the extremely expensive taxi ride in, so the next cost we had was buying the kids something to eat at the airport before our flight 4.20 Euros ($5.50). Once we arrived to Paris our train tickets to get from Orly Airport to the city cost 21.80 Euros ($28). We walked from the metro station to our hotel (Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan Hotel which was AMAZING), it was too early to check in, but they showed us the downstairs bathroom if we needed to freshen up and held our bags there until we could check into our rooms.

Even though it was a bit colder in Paris than it was in Rome we decided to walk around the first day. We went to the Arc de Triomphe, walked down the Champs-Elysees and went to Notre Dame Cathedral. Instead of buying full day passes, it made more sense for us to by a pack of 10 one-way passes for the metro that cost 12.70 Euros ($16.50). Our food cost for the day (lunch, dinner, and buying breakfast items for the next morning) came to 60 Euros ($78). I forgot to pack hats for the kids so we bought them tuques that say “PARIS” on them for 8 Euros ($10.40). Total cost for the day $138.40.

Our last day in Paris we went to the Louvre, tickets cost 11 Euros ($14.30) each, kids 17 and under are free, and we decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. Because of that we had to pay full price to take the elevator all the way up; during the day you can take the stairs up to the second level and it costs less. It was 14 Euros each for adults, and 9.50 Euros for kids 4 – 11 ($48.75 total). Our food costs for the day came to 42 Euros ($54.60). Total cost for the day, approximately $132.

The day we flew home the only cost we had was for our train tickets from the metro to Charles de Gaulle Airport (among many awesome things about the Radisson Blu we stayed at, the internet was included). Our tickets cost 18.20 Euros ($23.50). Our flight home was fine, and our parking cost at the airport was only $16 since we had family come and pick up our car for us soon after we left. All these costs came to $410.40. I will add an additional $46.60 for any incidentals I may have forgot to include and the total comes to $457.

Tiff's first big vacation was a Caribbean cruise when she was six. She first started getting interested in deals when her husband showed her the tricks to getting bought off your flights back in the late 90s. She started flying nonrev when they got married; the first unusual nonrev she did was in '05 when her family flew through San Juan to get to Dallas from Philly. They have two boys, ages 11 and 7, who she usually drags along on their travels and hopes they will grow up to love traveling as much as she does.

You may also like...

1 Comment

DaninSTL

February 21, 2013 at 5:19 pm

We just got back from Rome. We took a cruise from Rome around the western med for about $1500 for two. We stayed at the Intercontinental at the Spanish steps and the Radisson Blu at the Termini station. The Blu hotel was needing a remodel but the train location was great for the next day trip to the airport.
I’ve really enjoyed your trip review on this. Thanks.

Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which this site receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers.

Editorial Disclosure: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this page are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer or company.

Heels First Travel - Sophisticated Travel. Uncomplicated Advice.

What to do (and NOT to do) to travel more comfortably, affordably, and fashionably.